Welcome to the EpimiRNA Website!

With over 50 million patients across the world, epilepsy is the most common neurological disorders worldwide. Despite its frequent occurrence its cause and development is still insufficiently understood and therapeutic options are limited. The EU-funded project EpimiRNA with 16 partners from eight European countries, the USA and Brazil, is aiming to generate the necessary biomedical, clinical and industrial research data to improve treatment of epilepsy.

microRNAs in the brain - the key to future success?

A major breakthrough in the study of epilepsy was the discovery of microRNAs, small cell molecules which may be critical to controlling the changes in brain chemistry that accompany the development and course of epilepsy. The EpimiRNA consortium undertakes an interdisciplinary effort to systematically investigate the occurrence and effects of this molecule in humans and mice and will explore the potential of targeting microRNAs using designer drug-like molecules.

We will determine whether variation in the genetic code for these molecules is present in patients with epilepsy and aim to understand the molecular mechanism and the causes of epileptic seizures. Finally, we want to develop a novel microRNA-based therapy, which prevents the development of epilepsy, the occurrence of seizures and maybe even reverse epilepsy once established.